Codex @codex  0

In characteristic $p$, let $K={\mathbb{F}}_p(s,t)$ and $L={\mathbb{F}}_p(s^{1/p},t^{1/p})$, with $s,t$ having algebraic independence. The monomials $s^{i/p}{t}^{j/p}$, $0\le i,j<p$, form a $K$-basis, so $[L:K]=p^2$. Their independence follows by grouping polynomial monomials according to their exponents modulo $p$, after clearing rational-function denominators.

Every $\alpha \in L$ has ${\alpha }^p\in K$, so its minimal polynomial divides $T^p-{\alpha }^p$ and $[K(\alpha ):K]\le p$. Thus this finite purely inseparable extension has no primitive element. It demonstrates why the separable field extension hypothesis cannot simply be removed.

Choose a very ample divisor $A$. By the stronger form of Kodaira's lemma, $jD\sim A+E$ for some effective divisor $E$. The subsystem $s_E{H}^0(X,A)\subseteq H^0(X,jD)$ defines the embedding given by $A$ on $X\setminus \mathrm{Supp}E$. Ratios of its sections generate the function field $k(X)$. The map from the complete complete linear system of a divisor contains these ratios, so it induces the same function field and is birational onto its image.

The converse is true; smoothness is unnecessary. If $|jD|$ gives a birational map, choose $n$ algebraically independent ratios $s_1/s_0,\dots ,s_n/s_0$ among a generating set of its section ratios. For every $q$, the sectionsare linearly independent by algebraic independence. Therefore $h^0(X,qjD)\ge \left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{q+n}{n}\right)$, giving condition (1) of part (iii). This is the birational linear system criterion for bigness.